"Carried by Angels"
TEXT: Luke 16:19-31 Dearly baptized of Trinity, This parable, this Gospel lesson is about you. More importantly it is FOR you. When I say you baptized of Trinity, I do not just mean you baptized of Trinity, Layton, but you baptized of Trinity, the one true God-- Father , Son and Holy Spirit. When we look at parables, it is not so much to find corresponding parts of our world and life to every part and piece and character of the story. Like any hearing of the preached Word, it is to find what all of it means for you, where you are in each part and where God is. As in the parable of the prodigal son, and the parable of the sewer and the seed and the soils, you dear baptized can be found. There is something to be learned about yourself and your relationship to God in each of the characters and in every part. In the Rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day, we see the nature of unbelief [Luther]. He flaunted the riches of the Gospel. This is you, the sinner. The one who wants no help and gives no help. In Lazarus, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table, we see the nature of unbelief [Luther]. He yearned for the riches of the Gospel. This is you, the saint. The Lazarus, who is helped by God. The rich man and Lazarus show us the sinner and the saint in every one of us. On your worst day here, still you are a rich man. The fact that you are here today is evidence that the Lord has always provided for you richly, giving you your daily bread according to His good and gracious will, and especially the rich treasures of Baptism, the Word of God, and the Lord's Supper. On your best day here, still you are a poor Lazarus-ignored, despised, rejected, taken advantage of by the world. This world values power and success more than anything. It is a world of survival of the fittest, that "natural" selection by which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The sinner in each of us is like the rich man, who is an illustration and embodiment of Jesus words to the Pharisees leading up to our parable. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:14-15 As a baptized saint of God, each of us is like Lazarus--not necessarily successful or particularly blessed by earthly, human standards, but carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham that is the Word of God. Now if this parable and Gospel lesson is about you, and especially if it is to be FOR you, it MUST be about Jesus and the kingdom of heaven. So where is He? Certainly he is not the rich man, finely dressed for all to see feasting sumptuously while neighbors like Lazarus suffer and go hungry. He came humbly. · born of a virgin amongst the cattle · keeping company with prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers, and all sorts of sinners and social outcasts, healing them, feeding them, even raising one of them from the dead. Ah! And one of those He raised from the dead was named Lazarus, was he not? Though our Gospel lesson is a parable, a story told by Jesus and the characters are not meant to portray any one historical individual, the name Lazarus cannot help but bring to mind the brother of Mary and Martha for whom Jesus wept. The one He called out from the tomb. And how can one think of being raised from the dead without being drawn to the crucified and risen Christ Himself. Indeed if you look carefully at Lazarus, he is epitomized in Christ Himself. · Not comely to look at. · No possession or home to call His own. · Desiring to eat with the very ones who rejected Him, i.e. the Jews who having been given the promise and the Word were truly rich · Covered with sores. · The dogs licked his sores. And herein lies the Gospel of Jesus for YOU. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side [or bosom]. Luther tells us that Abraham's bosom is the Word of God. Hebrews 11 confirms Luther's explanation. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. . . . [Abraham] died in faith . . . By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead." Abraham's faith, like all faith according to the apostle Paul, comes from hearing the Word of God [Romans 10:17], by which Abraham, the Apostles, and even you and I receive the promises of God. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the Word Who became flesh to dwell among us [John 1:14]. In this flesh He did not become like the rich man, but he became like Lazarus. And when He, a lowly Lazarus bearing the sin of the world died and rose from the grave, He Himself was and remains to this day The Angel of God who bears every Lazarus, every baptized believer, in His flesh to the bosom of God, the Father in heaven. God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 Finally, if this Gospel parable is about Jesus for you, it must be about His church, for that is where the Holy Spirit "calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith." [SC Creed Art. III] In other words, His church is the kingdom of heaven on earth where the Holy Spirit show[s] the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Christ's church is not to be the rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day, flaunting the riches of the Gospel while ignoring those around them who are hungry and in pain. The Rev. Wilhelm Lohe, a 19th century Lutheran pastor in Germany and church father of the LC-MS who trained and sent pastors to America in its foundational days, wrote of Christ's church as a fellowship not only of Word and Sacrament, but a fellowship of Christians and congregations that "acknowledged it as their sacred duty to see to it that there was no poor among them, . . . [and] no matter how far they might be separated from each other, acknowledged it as a sacred duty to meet each others' needs." ["Aphorisms,"] We see this in the book of Acts · all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts 2:43-45 · in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. Acts 6:1-3 · 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 Paul writes about collections for the struggling saints at the church in Jerusalem: We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints-and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. [8:1-5] You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! [9:11-15] · Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:32-35 This description of the church sounds and looks nothing like so much of popular Christianity today that hawks success formulas, lauding the purple and fine linen of fancy programs and feasting sumptuously while faithful brethren struggle along and even fold their tents, sometimes having whatever they may have left coveted by the rich men and taken to feed their sumptuous appetites. But let not your hearts be troubled, dear baptized of Trinity, dear Lazarus's all. Whatever your status in the eyes of the world--no matter your outward appearance, size or success as measured by earthly standard--you have been carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham and God Himself in your Baptism. You will be carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham and God Himself on your last day or The Last Day. And you continue to be carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham and God every time you hear His Word preached and every time you receive His body and blood That forgives you all of your sins and gives you life with Him in heaven-FOREVER-- in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen ____________________________________________________________ Refinance Now 4.0% FIXED! $160,000 Mortgage for $633/mo. Free. No Obligation. Get 4 Quotes! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL3241/4c0be3eb4bb0f27cb7bst06duc
